When you bite into a delicious pizza, succulent sandwich or luscious lamb chops, are you possibly eating food that has been sacrificed to idols?

An outspoken American pastor says yes, and he's sounding the alarm for Christians to be aware of the Islamic influence he calls "backdoor Shariah" now nibbling its way across the fruited plain.

At issue, says Mark Biltz of El Shaddai Ministries in Bonney Lake, Wash., is eating food that's "halal," in other words "lawful" or "permitted" for the Muslim diet.

Muslims join many Jews and some Christians in avoiding the consumption of certain animals such as pigs and birds of prey, but those of the Islamic faith also have their meat blessed in the name of their god, Allah.

"From the Christian standpoint, Allah would be an idol," Biltz told WND.

In a sermon last weekend which he posted online, Biltz explained, "In order for it to be halal, they have to slaughter the animal facing Mecca ... and they have to say this prayer about Allah is great and greater than all other gods. Muslims can only eat food that is halal, that has been sacrificed to their idol, Allah ... and with Allah's name prayed over it."

"You could be eating beef, chicken, etc., offered up to Allah and not even know it. I can just imagine at a Passover Seder the caterer unbeknownst to anyone is serving halal meat! It could be on your pizza without you knowing it, or at your favorite restaurant. People don't realize they could be eating meat sacrificed to idols!"

>>According to the Apostle Paul, eating food that you KNOW was sacrificed to idols is no different from eating food you didn’t know was sacrificed to idols <<

I disagree. I think that is why Paul had a “DADT” attitude about it. And yes, it was about the weaker brother.

The spirit of this is pretty clear. Food is food, but you are not to “appear” to be supporting the false religion.

If there is some guy in the kitchen at your favorite restaurant “sacrificing” the meat before he cooks it, and you don’t know it, you need not even think about it. OTOH, if there is the phrase “HALAL Restaurant” in big neon letters at the door of the restaurant, you should avoid it. Even then,there is nothing wrong with the food, but the reason for avoiding it is to keep from damaging the “lesser brother”.

Don’t even get me started about drinking alcohol. That one is a REAL conundrum - for some.

Depends, the rest of the chapter makes clear that what comes out of the mouth reveals what's in the heart. So if you recited the Koran to show people how false it is, then no. But if you recited the Koran, because in your heart you were hoping the Koran was true instead of those original scriptures, then yeah, definitely.

According to the Apostle Paul, eating food that you KNOW was sacrificed to idols is no different from eating food you didn't know was sacrificed to idols or food that wasn't sacrificed to idols, except if a weak brother observes you eating food sacrificed to idols and his faith is harmed.

Selective quoting can be a bad thing.

OTOH, if there is the phrase HALAL Restaurant in big neon letters at the door of the restaurant, you should avoid it.

There is no reason for me to avoid it. There are no Christians whose faith is going to be harmed because I eat halal food. We don't have anything equivalent now in our culture to what Paul was writing about.

Yes it can. But I’m missing your point. The part you bolded is a foregone conclusion. Several of us have been discussing that aspect. It is why I made my comment on alcohol.

>>There is no reason for me to avoid it.<<

Regarding HALAL, my reasons are that I don’t want to support anything islam related. I am thinking more and more that there is a strong possibility that the false religion of the end discussed in Revelation will be islam.

I do see from the rest of your post that we are in agreement that the pastor in the article is wrong in what he is claiming here.

Biblically speaking, Matthew 15:11 refers specifically to food prohibited by the Mosaic Law, not foods which have praise lavished upon them by false religions. (Within the context, Jesus is warning His followers against bile spewed from the mouth; however, verse 13 states that God will uproot any plants He did not plant, which would certainly include plants blessed by moon gods and whatnot.) The only thing which Christ says does NOT defile a man in Matthew 15 is eating without washed hands.) In addition to the numerous admonishments seen in Acts against eating tainted meat (which, if ignored, have little context), 1 Corinthians 8:4-9 specifically states that Christians should be careful if they consume the meat of idols. Forearmed is forewarned, and many Muslims do NOT mark their meat as halal within the supermarket. How can one be careful of that which he is ignorant of? [.......................................................................................................................] Of course, for the secular humanists who refuse to see the foresight of the LORD in dealing with Islam, I offer you simple wisdom: every time you purchase halal meat, you put money in the pockets of Muslims or those who are willing to be the Muslims' useful idiots. That money will go towards giving them more power within a community to force their ridiculously antiquated laws on an unwilling community. [.......................................................................................................................] Either way, why risk potentially defiling yourself? We are never educated enough in the way of the LORD, and it is beyond arrogance for us to assume we are. The fruits of Islam are readily available for all to see; bilious, poisonous fruits, driving those who consume those fruits into madness and damnation. Any food that is halal should be required by law to be marked as halal, bottom line. To rail against this standard is to tacitly endorse the doctrine of Al-taqiyya. [...............................................................................................................] (BTW, sorry for the horrible formatting. Whenever I go into preview, it refuses to acknowledge that I hit the enter key. Could someone more computer literate than I tell me how I could fix this in ways other than shortening my posts?)

Acts and Corinthians makes clear such pagan-sacrificed meat should be avoided.

Only for conscience sake, that is, for the sake of the conscience of one offering the meat sacrificed to idols. We need to be cautious for the sake of weaker brethren. The Christian is under no absolute prohibitions in eating meat sacrificed to idols.

Besides, no one here has established that this is food actually sacrificed to idols in any biblical sense. Its merely a WorldNutDaily author repeating the theory of this right-wing pastor.

Frankly, it makes Christians who repeat it look foolish, but thats nothing new.

So I went and read Halal Guidelines for Food Preparation and nowhere in the text did I see anything about sacrificing the meat to demons. In one document I did see the requirement for the slaughterer to utter "Bismillah" while performing the slaughtering, but that requirement is absent in this document.

Quite frankly I don't see much difference in Halal foods and the freakishly anal-retentive regulations issued out and enforced by the USDA and FDA.

If you are self-classified as "weaker brother" and find your soul in mortal danger, then I would advice against Halal and Kosher foods and eat pigs, dogs, rats, eagles, bears, tigers and other non-demonic foods - Just to make sure that God still approves of you.

Yes. allah is a false god. Or do you also deny the crucification? The fundamental core of halal slaughter is facing Mecca, praying to this false god, and sliting the throat of the animal.

“If you are self-classified as “weaker brother” and find your soul in mortal dange”

No, merely one who can read.

I don’t avoid halal for myself, but do so for the weaker brother -— the weaker brother being the “all roads lead to heaven” brother who might be persuaded that islam is acceptable by not my rejecting its practices.

To purchase halal food is to fund the Muslim Brotherhood and CIAR. The Bible, in its infinite wisdom, recognized this. Apparently, so-called “conservatives” don’t mind completely ignoring passages of Scripture or providing terrorists with resources as long as they get their delicious meat. I have no idea why people react with such hostility towards requiring all food to be marked as halil; if we’re going to keep the FDA around, they might as well do something useful.

I am absolutely astounded that you are claiming authority on this issue without reading a few passages onwards:

1 Corinthians 10 28 But if someone says to you, This has been offered in sacrifice, then do not eat it, both for the sake of the one who told you and for the sake of conscience. 29 I am referring to the other persons conscience, not yours. For why is my freedom being judged by anothers conscience? 30 If I take part in the meal with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of something I thank God for? 31 So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God. 32 Be without offense toward the Jews, and toward the Gentiles, and toward the Church of God, 33 just as I also, in all things, please everyone, not seeking what is best for myself, but what is best for many others, so that they may be saved.

Take particular note of verses 28 and 33. When you eat food which has been sacrificed to an idol, you commit a sin against your brother. That is the only moral failing one has from eating halal food, but it is a moral failing regardless. You may not slide into damnation yourself, but you cause your neighbor to. Also, take your anti-Christian bigotry elsewhere.

It is NOT whether anything I eat has been "blessed" by some Mullah-Mullah, with incantations over their faux, pagan, god, any more than eating Kosher foods....

IT'S the fact of "LEGITIMIZING" the Mooozies!

That and my NOT wanting to support them in any way, shape or form as they labor (stealthily) towards ever more of injecting Islam/Sharia into our lives, be it a Mosque at Ground Zero, a Crescent-Shaped Memorial in Pa to honor the heroes of Flt 93 or, Sharia ("No Interest") banking, Courts making rulings based on the Qur'an, eating any foods which they insist must be slaughtered according to Islam in order to be considered "acceptable," etc.

Thank you for making the point so many on this thread managed to miss.

Yes of course (and not generally but specifically), but my point is (and feel free to read Kosher websites as I do, since I keep Kosher) is that Kosher food is “not blessed nor sacrificed to idols”. Kosher means “fit” and “refers to the manner of supervision, selection, slaughter and preparation” in accordance with Jewish law.

87
posted on 01/31/2011 11:35:23 PM PST
by Yehuda
(Land of the free, THANKS TO THE BRAVE!)

Paul puts his question forward in part because they are making references to permitting meat forbidden in the Mosaic times, and in part because unwittingly eating Halal is not a sin against yourself. Knowingly eating Halal is.

Also, I stated that you were being an anti-Christian bigot by your asking, “Why are Christians so dumb?” Sorry if my comment didn’t provide the appropriate context.

89
posted on 02/01/2011 6:29:01 AM PST
by Objective Scrutator
(Liberals will kill your family if they are keeping a Democrat from a Congressional seat)

because unwittingly eating Halal is not a sin against yourself. Knowingly eating Halal is.

This view is found neither in the Mosaic Law nor in Paul. Paul especially NEVER says that eating meat sacrificed to idols in and of itself is sin. The only sin is that caused by giving offense to others. Period.

Besides, its still not been established by any credible authority that eating Halal violates by biblical command. This particular pastor has his view. He is mistaken, IMO.

Also, I stated that you were being an anti-Christian bigot by your asking, Why are Christians so dumb? Sorry if my comment didnt provide the appropriate context.

Well then obviously you havent paid attention to my background or other posts, or you would not make such a silly statement.

Misleading others how? The Scripture doesnt use that sort of specific language.

Paul gives the same unequivical instruciton:

Lets not take your word for it, but lets examine the context:

24 Let no one seek his own, but each one the other's well-being. 25 Eat whatever is sold in the meat market, asking no questions for conscience' sake; 26 for "the earth is the Lord's, and all its fullness." 27 If any of those who do not believe invites you to dinner, and you desire to go, eat whatever is set before you, asking no question for conscience' sake. 28 But if anyone says to you, "This was offered to idols," do not eat it for the sake of the one who told you, and for conscience' sake; for "the earth is the Lord's, and all its fullness." 29"Conscience," I say, not your own, but that of the other. For why is my liberty judged by another man's conscience? 30 But if I partake with thanks, why am I evil spoken of for the food over which I give thanks? 31 Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. (1 Cor. 10)

There is no absolute prohibition in this passage against eating meat sacrificed to idols. See Jesus words in Matt. 15:11.

However, it is for the conscience of the other (the unbeliever) who told us this meat is sacrificed to idols that we should abstain. There it is in black and white. What part did I get wrong?

Me, I care about people who might be mislead into thinking islam is a road to heaven.

Misquoting and misinterpreting the Bible does not demonstrate a care for people, no matter how noble the cause. Trying to be holier than Jesus and making others do the same wont work either.

Besides, you folks still have shown that eating Halal violates by biblical command.

"I don´t know. Violating kashrus and not washing the hands before eating violate The Law which Jesus claims to have supported.'

Jesus' answer to the charge is found in vs 3.

Mat 15:2 Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread. Mat 15:3 But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?

One commentary says this: "The tradition they transgress is but man's, and is itself the occasion of heavy transgression, undermining the authority of God's law."

Even the pharisees admitted it was not God's law but "tradition of the elders". But they were imposing it as equal with God's law. In fact, the Mathew Henry commentary has a quote of a Rabbi equating it with adultery.

Jesus turns it around on them, and uses it an an opportunity to point to other "traditions of men" that were undermining God's law, including the way the pharisees were avoiding honoring their parents.

Disclaimer:
Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual
posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its
management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the
exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.